Of the end of 2010

Ten years from today , I remember looking at the dark sky above on the same winter night - eve of a new year. It was the start of 2001. It has been a very long journey since then. Sometimes you don't make path, you happen to follow it. Back then, I didn't knew what I wanted to become. And even today, I don't. Never even in my wildest of dreams, I would have thought that I would be writing a computer program on the eve of another new year. But then, stranger things have happened in these years. Of all the things that happened, I took pride in having made not many friends but few chosen ones with whom I can share everything. Ten years is indeed a long period. Things get changed from the way you look to things you want. Let us welcome 2011 as a year to cherish and fulfill all those dreams and things that you have always desired. I wish you a very happy new year.

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The Catcher in the Rye

JD Salinger would have never liked the homage being paid to him after his death [link]. He would have simply called everyone a "Phony" in his own way. "The Catcher in the Rye", happened to be the first novel that I ever read and thus got acquainted to Holden Caulfield since then.

To the Holden Caulfield in each one of us.
Too Much Joy, from the album "Cereal Killers"

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Of the city that I knew so much

Picked the following books from the Landmark yesterday :-
2 States - Chetan Bhagat,Twilight - Stephenie Meyer and Pirates Latitudes - Michael Crichton.

Being a holiday, with nothing much to do, decided to finish the first one at a go. After reading "2 States", felt like the books sounds much nearer than I thought of. May be the reason being that a part of the book talks a lot about the life of an outsider trying to adjust himself to Chennai. Also it talks a lot about the language, the people, the auto-rickshaw drivers, what the Tamilians think of an outsider, their rich culture, their conservative nature, their thirst for knowledge. And I reckon, it has happened to me, isn't it? Moreover, it talks about the places I knew. The names of the restaurants, the Marina beach,Nungambakkam,Anna Salai, Mylapore etc.

All through these years I have been through all these. Now, I felt like I am part of this city.

PS:-
The mention of two things in the book made me nostalgic:-
1) about NITs catching up fast with the IITs (though sarcastically). Suddenly I recalled all those college friends.
2) The Sangeetha Residency, Mylapore. Yes, it was the very same place my company had arranged for my accommodation when I came to Chennai for the very first time. And that was 3 and a half years back.

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Of the sea,the sun, the sand and old friends

It all started with **Goa's visit to India. And what do you expect when you have the sea, the sand, the sun and above all,the old friends meeting at a place? Something really special. Yes the last weekend was much more than special. Greeted with **Goa's parent's hospitality, had wonderful fish fries and curries, enjoyed Hariharan's Ghazal concert and above all, we all met, talked endlessly, pulled one another's leg and rekindled our memories. It seemed no one has changed except for the few Kgs of weight that everyone (less Holdy) have put in. It seems as if many things have happened in those two days.

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PS:- We all went to Goa to meet **Goa.

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Down the memory lane

I was just trying to remember few names of my childhood friends.Vicky,his brother Nicky,Milan,Sana,Rakesh,Rishikesh,Akham,Mayashang.I can vividly remember each one of them with their faces.I grew up in the State Govt. Quarters located in the outskirts of Imphal city on a foot-hill. The houses were arranged in rows facing one another with narrow lanes between them. All the houses were of same design and of the same size. The Quarters were meant for the State Govt. employees who were posted in the city from remote places. When I look back I feel very lucky to have grown up in a place where people from diverse background meet. One of our next door neighbour was a Muslim and the other was a Christian.At that very young age the only difference I could make between the Eid and the Christmas was that on Eid we were invited by uncle Abdul and on the Christmas by uncle James. And on the Hindu festival - like the Holi or the Durga pooja, we were the host. There was never a religion or cast barrier.

And the other thing that I can proudly say about my childhood locality is that it made me harder in various aspects. Our playgrounds include the vast paddy fields in the front and the dense jungle in the back. I remember a game called "Fire - Fire" - in which the teams were divided into two and then both the teams hide in their respective areas. Then, whenever you saw someone from the other team, you have to shout "Fire" with the guy's name. Then that guy was supposed to be dead. The team with last guy standing was the winner. I don't know if today's children are still playing those games.

Then we use to play various sports depending on the TV telecasts. Sometimes the cricket fever and sometimes the Foot-ball fever. There was never a day when you were short of friends. I still remember my first Man-of-the-match award :).
And how can I forget those fights that happens on a regular basis. I had a fight with almost everyone of them. But then within a week we were use to be friends again.


And I use to go to school in a bicycle. How can I forget those moments when I learnt riding without using my hands. It was a indeed a gr8 achievment. I can still feel riding under the blue sky. I can still feel the fresh air blowing from the east. Sometimes the wind in in your side and sometimes against you.

I don't know where are those friends. Its been a long long time that I have heard anything from them. They must be busy with their daily routine like me. I hope to meet them again.

Some things become traits and it very necessary to keep them intact.

Cheers,
Tiken

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Holidays ....oh! those summer vacations

Summer has a reason to be remembered. There was a time when this particular season of the year used to be an awaited one. It is the time of the year when the schools are closed and you have lots of time to share with friends and family. This privilege continued during my college days too. We used to book the train tickets for home months before. With eager feet we use to follow the easterly winds. But then those are memories and memories are meant to be cherish...
Things are different now.

Its summer time but no vacation :( I m here in a crowded city far from home and the near ones. No more leisure summer afternoons in the cherry tree shades. But then, I have become tougher. Now I can tolerate more than 40 degrees Celsius temperature even in the midst of a traffic jam. Rookies complain.I have stopped complaining, believe me. .

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